According to a report published in The Caravan magazine, Aseemanand, currently lodged at Ambala Central Jail, said that then RSS general secretary Bhagwat told him that the blasts should not be linked to the Sangh.

“It is very important that it be done. But you (Aseemanand) should not link it to the Sangh,” Aseemanand was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the magazine on Wednesday.

RSS REFUTES CHARGES

The RSS, however, denied its involvement in any terror strike and questioned the veracity of the report.

Senior RSS leader Ram Madhav said that Aseemanand’s lawyer has issued a statement categorically stating that the contents of the article are false, baseless and concocted.

“He (lawyer) has also said that his client denies having given any such interview. Questions arise on the authenticity of the interview. The timing of the interview poses a political conspiracy,” Madhav claimed.

The media outfit claimed that Aseemanand gave the interviews over a series of interactions and the audio tapes and transcripts were made public by the publication on Wednesday.

BJP DENOUNCE CHARGES

The Hindu nationalist party Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while denouncing the allegations said that statements are twisted and presented to defame Hindutva organizations.

“The revelations have been made by a magazine. What is the authenticity of his interview to the magazine,” BJP leader Prakash Javadekar questioned.

“We denounce it completely,” he added.

Ravi Shankar Prasad of the BJP said, “Aseemanand's lawyer has denied this interview as being authentic. It's the Congress' dirty tricks department working again.”

ALLEGATIONS MAY BE TRUE

Meanwhile Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said that the accusations may be true as it is being leveled by none other than Aseemanand, who is himself an accused in these blasts.

“Let's see what he has said. If he has made a revelation, it may be true,” Shinde said.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid described the revelation as ‘serious’.

“This is serious information. It can have serious implications on the country. These must be discussed and truth must come out,” he said.

Another Congress leader and Union Minister Beni Prasad Verma said that the RSS want to destroy the nation for the sake of votes.

“People from the Sangh should be ashamed. These people can go to any lengths to make Hindus and Muslims fight,” he said.

JD(U) DEMANDS FRESH PROBE

Senior JD (U) leader Shivanand Tiwari said, “This is not surprising. Such is their (RSS) work. The government must order fresh investigations.”